Better late than never, and that would be an appropriate expression to sum up the pleasant weather to end an otherwise cool summer in the Rugby region.

September was nothing short of beautiful and will likely go down as one of the warmest on record.

Nineteen days the high temperature reached 80 degrees or warmer, including a stretch of seven consecutive days. according to KZZJ 1450 AM, the official weather reporting station for Rugby. The hottest day was Sept. 6 with a high of 88 degrees. Those daytime highs were 10 to 12 degrees above average and even the lows were above average.

Consider this: Only seven times in July and eight in August did the mercury hit the 80-degree mark, according to weather records.

Unfortunately, not many were able to enjoy the nice weather very much, as children returned to class and most people had taken their vacations earlier in the summer. The warm stretch did lend a helping hand to farmers concerned about corn and sunflowers which were well behind schedule. The 80-degree days and no early frost may salvage much of the crop.